Monday, September 22, 2008

Selection Of High Protein Diet Food !

There is a great deal to be gained by care in the selection of foods. We have all something to learn about their market and nutritive value. One loaf of bread, one pound of beef, one slice of cheese, differs from another. No housekeeper should accept the word of a shopkeeper's assistant, who considers it his duty to sell, and to this end to praise, as he recommends the goods that he offers. As a rule a shopman knows nothing about food how it is made, or prepared, of what it is made, or where it is made

The housekeeper can learn a great deal about food if she is willing, but she, too, often declines to be told. The well-being of a normal house depends largely upon the housekeeper and the cook, for if food is well bought it is better and cheaper than when it is left to the tradesman to send what he likes, or when the buyer knows nothing about it.

Bread should be made in the home. There is no bread made by the average baker which can approach a well-made home loaf, either in quality or cost. Thus money is saved, while the food, which is enjoyed more by the consumer, is also more serviceable. The best white bread is not the whitest, but that made from slightly tinted flour, which is richer in gluten, whether it is called household, bakers, or seconds. As gluten is a builder of muscle it is important that bread should be rich in this substance, which it is not when it is made of very white flour. If brown bread is made at home it should be the produce of whole- meal, and this should be guaranteed by the sales- man, for brown flour is usually a blend and not wholemeal at all. White flour may be enriched in the muscle -building substance by the employment of separated milk.

Probably no food is purchased with so little care as Milk. Although the public are carefully pro- tected against adulteration, milk is still poor in quality. Commercial milk, too, is artificially coloured that it may resemble rich milk. There are no simple means of testing milk either for its purity or quality, and the buyer is, therefore, at the mercy of the seller, for which reason he should deal only with tradesmen of reputation. There is, however, one thing a buyer can do ” he can test the quantity he buys. The milk deliverer can, and often does, by consistently giving short measure to his customers, make something for himself at their expense, and as there are usually two deliveries daily, or thirteen in the week, it follows that in the course of a year the loss may be appalling.

The finest type of Butter seldom finds its way on to the market ; the average consumer must, therefore, be content with Danish, Irish, Colonial, French, Russian, Argentine, or British factory brands. The best plan in dealing with a reliable tradesman is at all times to order the same brand, and that, a brand which will keep in summer as well as in winter. It should always be tasted and re- turned if it is imperfect in flavour. Butter which is heavily salted, or in which the water can be seen in droplets, should only be accepted, if accepted at all, at a lower price. Butter should be kept in a cold store in the dark.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Vegetarian Are Facing Less Obesity problem

Modern investigation, both in science and practice, has demonstrated the fact so clearly that it cannot be mistaken, that health is very largely governed by the food we consume. That we eat too much is admitted by intelligent students of dietetics. That we eat carelessly, quickly, irregularly, and too often, and without regard to the essential importance of mastication and per- fect digestion, is also admitted.

When, however, we discuss with the average man the question of what we should eat and what we should avoid, we tread upon difficult ground. Preference and prejudice then come to the front, and thus, with- out understanding the principles of nutrition, and the reasons why some forms of food are so much better than others, argument loses its force in the presence of the belief inculcated by the example of parents and of general practice.

I am not a vegetarian, although I am conscious that flesh food is not essential to health or to strength, and that as we reach middle age it is a danger to both. There are many exceptions, but evidence proves that an enormous majority of meat-eaters facing Obesity problem

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Will Honey Destroy The Fat ?

Honey. No account of the food of the pre-cibiculturists would be complete without a reference to honey, which con- stitutes an wnportant source of nutriment for all of them, Esqui- maux and Fuegians only excepted. The quantity of honey obtained is often considerable. The Australian natives carry away in baskets specially made for the purpose what they cannot eat on the spot, and so large is the quantity which the Anda- manese obtain that they realize a respectable sum annually by selling it to the residents at Port Blair : they store it in bottles and barrels and are generally able to provide a continuous supply throughout the year. A common way of eating honey with the Australians is to smear a piece of porous bark with it. The honey then becomes partially absorbed, and the primitive sweetmeat is handed round, to be eagerly sucked and chewed by all the company in turn ; when sucked dry it is again replenished with honey and again sent round.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Nutrition for slim Body

We must now consider briefly the fate of the food-stuffs after absorption and the way in which they serve to nourish the body. When we attempt to trace the course and the transforma- tions of these materials from the time that they disappear from the intestine to the final reappearance of their elements as urea and water in the urine, and carbon dioxide and water in the expired air, we find ourselves plunged at once into the most difficult problems of physiology, a full discussion of which, however interesting to the student of dietetics, would not in the present state of our knowledge,or rather our ignorance, yield any practical information bearing upon dietetics.

We shall therefore confine ourselves to a brief summary of the modern view as to the processes by means of which foods are oxidized to furnish energy, or built up into tissues.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

The Truth About Coffee, Good For Your Health ? or Bad For You?

Coffee is a valuable restorative. Though coffee closely resembles tea in constitution, it has its own special charac- teristics and properties. From time immemorial it has been known and valued in Arabia, the native home of the coffee plant ; and the finest coffee still comes from Mocha. The Moors and Arabs of the Orient, who are forbidden by their religion to take alcohol, find in coffee a stimulating beverage. The first coffee-house was opened in London in 1652, and since that date the use of coffee has con- stantly increased, though owing, in a great measure, to the imperfect way in which it is made in England, it is not nearly so favourite a beverage here as in France.

The coffee plant and coffee berry. Coffee is the seed of the fruit of the coffee tree, a shrub-like plant which is cultivated with the greatest success in Arabia, Turkey, the West Indies, and Java. The only preparation the berries undergo is that of roasting, during which their peculiar aroma, taste, and flavour are brought out.

The constituents of coffee. Coffee, like tea, contains three active principles. These are the alkaloid caffeine, which is identical with, and has the same properties as theine ; secondly, an astringent substance resembling tannin is present in much smaller quantities than in tea ; and thirdly, a volatile oil developed in roasting, which gives the coffee its aromatic odour. Coffee, like tea, also con- tains a considerable amount of gluten, which is only slightly soluble in water.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

You Want To Eat Healthy !

The morning "Daily Dozen" will start the day right. They ould be made a habit in which no omissions can. occur. To secure the most good they are to be supplemented with walking to the office (whenever possible three to four miles is not too much), week-end tennis, golf, swimming, skating, and outdoor rts that are suited to the individual's needs.

ENVIRONMENT
The home environment is important. Keep it cheerful and clean. Optimism is a powerful stimulant. Food digests readily when seasoned with smiling sauce and served with laughter and happiness. Keep worry out of your life. It kills initiative, driving power, strength and vigor.
Have the air as clean as your collar. You only wear the collar; you breathe air. Sleep with open windows. Avoid places with flies and dirt. Don't overheat your home or office. Keep the temperature at 68 Fahrenheit. Don't miss the daily bath!

EATING
The pig lives to eat. For man eating should be a means of supplying energy that enables one to live a vigorous, efficient life. Oh! enjoy it! but choose between palate and perform- ance. Eat meat only once a day and after forty, little of that. Drink all liquids slowly and chew all food thoroughly. Control the amount of food eaten by the amount of energy expended. Eat less when you are inactive physically and in warm weather. Drink seven or eight glasses of water daily. Leave alcohol alone and live longer and more efficiently. It doesn't give vigor.
Gasoline is necessary for the running of the motor-car; but if the carbon is not removed, power is lost. Keep the carbon removed by regular habits, and avoiding constipating food.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Yoga help get healthy body and good night sleep

Yoga teachings, result in deeper, more beneficial sleep and a general sense of restf ulness and well-being; and these in turn enable one to function at the very optimum of one's abilities. It is not just a question of building greater resistance to emo- tional storms with their possible aftermath of psychogenic illness; a rested mind and a rested body are, as any doctor will tell yon, the best kind of health insurance. So starts an entire beneficial cycle: a healthy body means a better-functioning body, it means added tone, improved functioning of the glands; and that in turn means better metabolism, muscle tone, skin tone, elimination and general vitality and vigor. It means eyes that sparkle, hair that shines and appetites time will not dull. In fact, it means slowing up the entire process of deterioration which we call aging and which in Western man starts so pitifully early.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Exercise and Weight Loss

Weight loss itself is an ambiguous term, a more appropriate definition is weight training. This is not to say you want to build yourself up as a bodybuilder but rather you want to convert your fat into 'lean muscle tone'. That's the whole point of keeping fit and losing unwanted body fat. If you follow a well thought out exercise routine with an end objective in mind, coupled with a sensible diet, not only will you improve your general cardiovascular or strength fitness but you will keep those unwanted pounds off.

Start taking up regular aerobic (cardiovascular) exercise
if you don't already (i.e. at least 3-4 times a week) This is aimed at those who want to burn fat and convert it into lean muscle, if your intention is to build muscle then you need a different routine based on heavier weights and less repetitions.

If you are in a gym and are starting off at unfit level and want to convert fat into lean muscle:

Stretch your body in order to prepare it for activity (5 minutes stretches)i.e. side stretches, hamstrings, touch your toes etc etc.

Do 10 minutes at easy pace on Cycle then 1 minutes rest then 10 minutes on rowing and 1 min rest and so on for each exercise machine you want to do.

If you have weights then do 10 repetitions at a very light manageable weight, rest for 30 seconds and repeat this twice. So you do 3 sets of 10 repetitions at a light weight on each weight machine.

Do the same for other weight machines taking only 1 minute rest in between each different weight exercise remember to use light weights

Concentrate on cycling, rowing, stairmaster, stepper type machines, I don't recommend the treadmill simply because it puts a lot of strain on the joints, i.e. heels, ankle, knee. Jogging effectively can put 10 times the bodyweight force on the joints and should only be done on soft surfaces such as grass and with adequate cushioned footwear. That's why the treadmill is not to be recommended. The other aerobic machines put less stress on the joints.

At the end of your program which should be about 40 minutes on average you need to cool down, try easy cycling for 3 minutes and then stretches after that.

It is very important to warm up before an exercise routine and to cool down after wards, this is so that you don't suffer from muscle soreness and tenderness after wards and besides it keeps the muscles and ligaments supple and with less chance of muscle tear and injury during a workout.
Remember muscles work better when they are warm.

If you follow this program after a few weeks you will notice considerable improvement and will want to either increase the intensity, duration or weight in your program as it gets easier. Increase the reps to 20 for each exercise if you want to carry on getting leaner.

Remember to burn fat and get lean defined muscle do more repetitions at a less weight, to build heavy muscle and gain strength do less reps at a heavier weight.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Health Risk By Body Fat

To determine quickly if you are overweight the following is a surefire way of pinpointing your health risks.

Waist to Hip Ratio determines distribution of body fat. More body fat in the upper body (chest and waist) suggests increased health risk for elevated triglycerides, high blood pressure, strokes, longer time to conceive, heart disease or diabetes. More fat in the lower body (hips and thighs) suggests fat loss is difficult.

Exercise & Weight Loss
Determining if you are overweight
Suggestions to lose weight and keep it off
Tips on starting exercise programs

Using a tape measure, measure the hips in inches (or centimeters) at the top of the hip bone on the right front of the body. This spot will be slightly lower than your belly button.


Next, measure the waist 1" (2.5 cm) above your belly button in inches (or centimeters).


Using these two measurement values, divide the waist reading (2) by the hip reading (1). This tells you where most of your body fat is located.


Apple shape (a ratio of .95 or greater) means your body fat is located above your waist which indicates a higher health risk for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and some cancers. Pear shape (a ratio of less than .95) means your body fat is located below your waist which indicates a lower health risk, but fat located in the lower half of the body may be harder to lose during weight loss.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Pregnancy Complications by Overweight

Overweight and obesity raise the risk of pregnancy complications for both mother and baby. Pregnant women who are overweight or obese may have an increased risk for:

Gestational diabetes (high blood sugar during pregnancy).
Pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy that can cause severe problems for both mother and baby if left untreated).
Cesarean delivery or complications with cesarean delivery.
Babies of overweight or obese mothers have an increased risk of neural tube defects (defects of the brain and spinal cord), stillbirth, prematurity, and being large for gestational age.

How are they linked to overweight?

Pregnant women who are overweight are more likely to develop insulin resistance, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. (Insulin resistance is when cells do not respond properly to the hormone insulin, which carries blood sugar to cells for energy. It may result in high levels of blood sugar.) Overweight also increases the risks associated with surgery and anesthesia, and severe obesity increases operative time and blood loss.

Some studies have shown that gaining excess weight during pregnancy—even without becoming obese—may increase risks. It is important to consult with your obstetrician or other health care provider about how much weight to gain during pregnancy.

What can weight loss do?

Women who are overweight or obese and who would like to become pregnant should speak with their health care provider about losing weight before becoming pregnant. Pre-pregnancy weight loss significantly reduces pregnancy complications. Pregnant women who are overweight or obese should speak with their health care provider about limiting gestational weight gain and being physically active during pregnancy.

Monday, May 5, 2008

metabolic syndrome and Overweight

The metabolic syndrome is a group of obesity-related risk factors for coronary heart disease and diabetes. A person has the metabolic syndrome if he or she has three or more of the following risk factors:

A large waistline. For men, this means a waist measurement of 40 inches or more. For women, it means a waist measurement of 35 inches or more [1].
High triglycerides or taking medication to treat high triglycerides. A triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL or higher is considered high [1].
Low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol or taking medications to treat low HDL. For men, low HDL cholesterol is below 40 mg/dL. For women, it is below 50 mg/dL [1].
High blood pressure or taking medications to treat high blood pressure. High blood pressure is 130 mm Hg or higher for systolic blood pressure (the top number) or 85 mm Hg or higher for diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) [1].
High fasting blood glucose (sugar) or taking medications to treat high blood sugar. This means a fasting blood sugar of 100 mg/dL or higher [1].
A person with metabolic syndrome has approximately twice the risk for coronary heart disease and five times the risk for type 2 diabetes [1]. It is estimated that 27 percent of American adults have the metabolic syndrome [2].

How is it linked to overweight?

The metabolic syndrome is strongly linked to obesity, especially abdominal obesity. Other risk factors are physical inactivity, insulin resistance, genetics, and old age.

Obesity is a risk factor for the metabolic syndrome because it raises blood pressure and triglycerides, lowers good cholesterol, and contributes to insulin resistance. Excess fat around the abdomen carries even higher risks.

What can weight loss do?

It may be possible to prevent the metabolic syndrome with weight management and physical activity. For patients who already have the syndrome, losing weight and being physically active may help prevent or delay the development of diabetes, coronary heart disease, or other complications.

Individuals who are overweight or obese and who have the metabolic syndrome should aim to lose 10 percent of their body weight and do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day. Quitting smoking, eating healthfully, and taking prescription medications for conditions such as high blood pressure or low HDL cholesterol may also be recommended. You can learn more about the metabolic syndrome from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at www.nhlbi.nih.gov

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Sleep apnea and weight loss

Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person stops breathing for short periods during the night. A person who has sleep apnea may suffer from daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and even heart failure.

How is it linked to overweight?

The risk for sleep apnea is higher for people who are overweight. A person who is overweight may have more fat stored around his or her neck. This may make the airway smaller. A smaller airway can make breathing difficult, loud (snoring), or stop altogether. In addition, fat stored in the neck and throughout the body may produce substances that cause inflammation. Inflammation in the neck is a risk factor for sleep apnea.

What can weight loss do?

Weight loss usually improves sleep apnea. Weight loss may help to decrease neck size and lessen inflammation.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Weight Loss Reduce Heart Disease !

Coronary heart disease means that the heart and circulation (blood flow) are not functioning normally. Often, the arteries have become hardened and narrowed. If you have coronary heart disease, you may suffer from a heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina (chest pain), or abnormal heart rhythm.
In a heart attack, the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart is disrupted, damaging portions of the heart muscle. During a stroke, blood and oxygen do not flow normally to the brain, possibly causing paralysis or death. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and stroke is the third leading cause.

How are they linked to overweight?
People who are overweight are more likely to develop high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides (blood fats) and LDL cholesterol (a fat-like substance often called “bad cholesterol”), and low levels of HDL cholesterol (“good cholesterol”). These are all risk factors for heart disease and stroke. In addition, excess body fat—especially abdominal fat—may produce substances that cause inflammation. Inflammation in blood vessels and throughout the body may raise heart disease risk.

What can weight loss do?
Losing 5 to 10 percent of your weight can lower your chances for developing coronary heart disease or having a stroke. If you weigh 200 pounds, this means losing as little as 10 pounds. Weight loss may improve blood pressure, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels; improve heart function and blood flow; and decrease inflammation throughout the body.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Depression and Overweight Person

Depression is a very serious emotional and psychological disorder. The symptoms are very diverse and those persons who suffer with Clinical depression should seek professional help. This article will be discussing the relationship between obese persons and depression.
Are all people depressed sometimes? Yes. Everyone has the "blues" sometimes. However, true depression lasts for days or months, as opposed to one day a year, or once in a "blue" moon. Those persons who experience symptoms of depression on a regular basis should seek professional help.

Why would an obese person be depressed? The health, social, economic, emotional, and physical problems associated with obesity are numerous and, for some, overwhelming. This sense of "social isolation" can lead to clinical depression. The depression may then lead to further weight gain, and then more isolation. This is a very vicious, persuasive syndrome.

Health:

For those with obesity there are many complications, health wise, with which to cope. There are increased risks of heart disease, joint deterioration and osteo arthritis, diabetes, hypertenstion, and gall bladder disease, to name a few. Many obese persons also experience hernia problems, swelling in the exremities, and shortness of breath. These problems are serious, and may cause a decrease in the quality of life for most obese persons, which, over time, may lead to severe depression.

Social:

This is a two fold problem. To begin with the obese person feels that they are no longer valued in society, with our culture pointing to the superiority of those who are beautiful. Excess weight is not an acceptable trait. Then, to compound this already low self - regard, often times people in our society ridicule, single out, and isolate those individuals who are extremely overweight. This can be devastating to a person who already believes they are "useless". As you may guess, a person who feels they have no purpose in their existence will experience a severe depression.

Economic:

When a person feels isolated they are not able to function in the society which has created this isolation. Many obese persons find it difficult or impossible to work in a society which shuns them. This, along with physical and health limits, create a hardship for the obese person, who now has less than adequate employment, and a low socio-economic position in our culture. This inability to function, to provide and perform can be a catalyst into a depressed state of mind.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Alternative Therapy for Weight Loss

Lawrence Cheskin's book covers reasons the body stores fat, an overview of diet pills used as appetite suppressants and alternative therapies for weight loss.

New Hope for People with Weight Problems, a book by Lawrence J. Cheskin (Prima Publishing, 2002), is a helpful resource for overweight and obese people who are having trouble losing weight. Sometimes diet and exercise just aren't enough to make weight loss happen, and there may be an underlying cause that you aren't aware of. This book offers new hope for weight loss in people with weight problems who have tried and failed at dieting.

Cushing's Syndrome, for example, is one of the potential problems Cheskin discusses. Cushing's Syndrome is caused by a defective pituitary gland that causes adrenal glans to overproduce cortisol. Excess cortisol is what prompts the body to store excess fat in the belly. You can tell if you have Cushing's Syndrome if you carry excess fat in your face and abs and have a large hump over your neck. Aside from obesity related side effects, Cushing's Syndrome often leads to diabetes, osteoporosis and spinal fractures.

Other reasons for excess fat storage in the body include:
Polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome, in which high estrogen causes extra body hair, irregular menstrual cycles and difficulty getting pregnant. It also makes your body resistant to let go of the excess fat.

Leptin is out of balance so fat cells aren't signaling to the brain that enough fat is stored.

Family history of obesity, heart conditions and cancer affect your health and potential for weight loss.

Your medical history signals whether your body is healthy or you have a tendency for infection, disease or excess fat storage.

Your weight history is a good predictor of your future weight. If you have been overweight since childhood and are an obese adult, it will likely be difficult for you to shed the extra pounds.

You body has a natural set point as far as weight and it is extremely hard to push past this number and maintain the weight loss.

Above all, your eating habits play a key role in your body's fat percentage.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Vulnerable after Weight Loss

Despite working hard to lose weight and being unhappy when overweight or obese, the fear of losing weight is very real for some people.

Would losing weight make you feel vulnerable? Think about it. What would happen if you shed the extra weight you carry and got down to a healthy weight? Would you really be able to find true happiness? The answer is probably not...unless you change the way you think.

The truth is that losing weight is scary because it can leave you feeling vulnerable. In essence, shedding the extra weight is like removing your protective armor. The fat suit you wear is a good blocker between you and the world around you. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do because you can use your weight as an excuse. Furthermore, people will come to expect less of you. Overweight people can easily create a wall with their excess weight and use it to block people out.

Losing weight means having to break down the fat barrier that has served as a tool for keeping expectations low and interactions to a minimum. Demolishing that fat barrier doesn't have to be scary. It can be a liberating experience if handled the right way.

What's Left to Hide Behind after Losing Weight?
It's no wonder some people feel vulnerable after they lose a considerable amount of weight. The wall that used to offer them support is suddenly missing. It feels like you're lost your armor, you have nothing left to hide behind, you are exposed and you suddenly have to confront situations you have avoided. Using weight as your crutch, your protection and your security is not an option once you reach a healthy weight. The comfort level is no longer there. What's left to rely on after losing weight?

There's nothing left to rely on physically. That's why losing weight can leave you feeling vulnerable. This is why so many people regain weight after reaching their weight loss goals.

The Cure for Vulnerability after Losing Weight
Being at a healthy weight doesn't instantly make you a happy person. The best way to protect yourself from feeling vulnerable and regaining weight is to make your weight loss a journey. Take it one step at a time. This is just one of the many reasons why slow weight loss is recommended. Stop focusing on the number on the scale and work on your inner self. Your weight loss journey is a great time to reflect on how you feel about yourself, how you handle relationships and how you think about food and exercise. Changing your thinking about yourself will help you to better cope with your new life after weight loss.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Fast Weight Loss Tips

Eating healthy will not only help in the struggle to lose weight, it's also the way to keep the pounds off once they are lost.
It's important to maintain a healthy weight. Eating healthy will not only help in the struggle to lose weight, it's also the way to keep the pounds off once they are lost.


A healthy weight isn't being so tiny that you will blow away if a strong wind comes along. And all human bodies were not created equal. Rather than try to look like someone else, work towards looking like what is right for your body type.

We all have our favorite snacks. Unfortunately our favorite snacks usually aren't at all healthy for us. If we take in more calories than we burn off in the form of exercise, we gain weight.

Some ideas and tips that can help to lose weight and keep it off are:

Stop frying foods. As delicious as fried foods are, they are loaded with fat and calories. Bake foods, or use a nonstick skillet to grill foods in. Olive oil adds a delicious taste to grilled foods such as chicken and beef.

Lay off the butter. Choose a low fat or fat free margarine or spread instead of butter. While butter is obviously very tasty, the fat content is out of this world. Using a fat free or low fat spread will save a lot of calorie intake.

Drink a glass of water before you eat. Drinking a glass of water will help to fill you up and you will eat less. Drink water throughout the day, and make soda a special treat if you must have it.

Soda is good, but unfortunately it's loaded with empty calories. The high sugar content is one of the biggest ways we gain weight. Drinking flavored water or just regular water, diet drinks, and sugar free drinks will help to lose weight much more quickly and to keep it off.

Buy smaller plates. If you have a large dinner plate, you will no doubt fill it up when you eat a meal. A smaller plate will hold less, but still look filled when you eat. Since the plate is smaller and you eat less, you will lose weight. Don't go back for seconds!

Make a habit of eating more veggies. You can eat more leafy green and yellow vegetables and be filled up, and intake fewer calories at the same time. Eating more veggies will help to lose weight. Steamed vegetables are absolutely delicious and healthier too.

Avoid meals and foods that are premade. These are usually loaded in calories. Items like lunch meats are high in calories. Preparing fresh foods where you control what ingredients go into the meal often results in less calories, also aiding in your weight loss goal.

White meat is healthier than red meat. Limit red meat intake such as beef, and eat more chicken, fish, and turkey. These contain fewer fat and therefore fewer calories. Grilled white meats can be prepared into many yummy meals.

Avoid snacking during the day when possible. If you must snack, snack on healthy foods, such as fresh fruits or veggie sticks. Foods like cold carrot sticks and celery sticks make a refreshing snack on a warm day. A low fat or fat free dressing makes a great dip.

Don't skip meals. Skipping meals usually only has you making up for the skipped meal by eating entirely too much when do eat. This said, eat only when you are hungry. Don't eat just because it's time to eat. But do adjust your eating schedule to your hunger schedule. Eat when you need to eat and on a regular basis, but eat when your body tells you it's mealtime, not when the clock on the wall says it's time to eat.

Never go grocery shopping when you are hungry. Not only do you end up spending more money, you often buy things that are not healthy and that will just add weight. Eat before shopping, and buy healthy foods. Leave the sugar loaded snacks on the shelves.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Weight Loss by Fun

Play tag on the playground. This is a fun activity for losing weight, especially if you have your own kids to chase. Running, climbing, squatting and laughing are great ways to burn calories and reach your fitness goals.

Weight Loss Tip #2: Challenge a friend to a game. Whether its basketball, tennis or soccer, you’ll have fun burning calories while participating in a little friendly competition.

Weight Loss Tip #3: Pack your favorite healthy foods in a picnic basket and head to the park or the beach. Being outside, getting fresh air and eating healthy foods will make you feel great. For a bonus, follow your picnic with a walk, swim or bike ride.

Weight Loss Tip #4: Join a Volksmarching Club to view new and interesting surroundings while walking with a group on a 10K route. Destinations often include bridges, mountainous areas, historical settings and other places you wouldn’t normally see on a walk through your own neighborhood. Trainging for the 10K walk will also keep you motivated to exercise and lose weight.

Weight Loss Tip #5: Turn up the radio or put on an upbeat CD and dance. Dancing is a fun way to get active and lose weight. Additionally, motivational music will improve your mood and help you stick with your weight loss plan.

Weight Loss Tip #6: Enjoy activities you haven’t thought about since childhood. Jump a fence, play on a trampoline or ride a bike. Giving into your inner child can be exciting and rejuvenating. If there are some things you can’t quite do, keep working out and retest yourself in a few months. When you do succeed at these activities you will feel empowered.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Over weight Disease Problem

Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar levels are above normal. High blood sugar is a major cause of coronary heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, amputation, and blindness.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes in the United States. This form of diabetes is most often associated with old age, obesity, family history of diabetes, previous history of gestational diabetes, and physical inactivity. The disease is more common among certain ethnic populations.

How is it linked to overweight?
More than 85 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. It is not known exactly why people who are overweight are more likely to develop this disease. It may be that being overweight causes cells to change, making them resistant to the hormone insulin. Insulin carries sugar from blood to the cells, where it is used for energy. When a person is insulin resistant, blood sugar cannot be taken up by the cells, resulting in high blood sugar. In addition, the cells that produce insulin must work extra hard to try to keep blood sugar normal. This may cause these cells to gradually fail.

What can weight loss do?
You may lower your risk for developing type 2 diabetes by losing weight and increasing the amount of physical activity you do. If you have type 2 diabetes, losing weight and becoming more physically active can help you control your blood sugar levels and prevent or delay complications. Losing weight and exercising more may also allow you to reduce the amount of diabetes medication you take. The Diabetes Prevention Program, a large clinical study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, found that losing just 5 to 7 percent of your body weight and doing moderate-intensity exercise for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, may prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Four Diet Myths for Fitness

There's nothing better we can do for ourselves than to become healthy through proper nutrition, but most people don't even come close to eating a healthy well-balanced diet. As a matter of fact, many people who think they're eating healthy really are victims of our society's 4 diet myths. These myths are propagated by fad diets that advise cutting out essential nutrients that your body needs to function properly.

Myth 1: Certain food groups should be eliminated

Many fad diets emphasize the elimination of certain food groups or eating primarily only one or two food groups. Your body needs a balanced diet that supplies you with the diverse nutrients that will keep you healthy. Your body needs water, vitamins, a little bit of protein, a little bit of fat, minerals, energy (carbohydrates), fiber, and oxygen. Eating a diet rich in fruits, veggies, grains, nuts, and seeds will help you rebuild your immune system, which will in turn help you to stay healthy.

Myth 2: You have to eat meat to get enough protein

Your body needs 30 grams of protein each day. Meat and dairy products are very high in sodium and fat. Fruits and vegetables have at least one gram of protein in them. Grains, nuts, oils and legumes contain complete proteins whereas meat proteins are actually incomplete.

Myth 3: Eliminate fat from your diet

Your body needs 50 grams of fat each day. You don't want to eliminate fat completely from your diet because it helps your joints and muscles work smoothly. Raw nuts, olive oil, and avocados are a rich source of nutritious and healthy fats. Look closely at the foods you buy and stay away from hydrogenated fats.

Myth 4: You have to go hungry to lose weight

The average woman should never eat less than 1,200 calories/day and the average man should never eat less than 1,800 calories per day. If you feed your body natural foods, then you'll have no need to go hungry. You can pretty much eat all the fresh fruits and vegetables you want, and it will not adversely affect your weight.

In order to maximize the nutritional value of your foods eat them in as natural a state as possible. Avoid chemicals, especially those found in water. Fluoride, for example, is a poison. Although as a treatment for teeth it can prevent cavities, it does no good to ingest it, but rather acts as a poison in your body. By getting back to nature and the foods your body was designed to run on, you can stay fit, maintain an optimal weight and build up your immune system so that you live a longer, more energetic life.